Rotary Happy Hour is tonight, June 6

The next Rotary Vocational Development Group will be tonight, Wednesday, June 6.

Once a month, Edina Rotarians have a chance to connect with other club members, and any guests, at the happy hour. This Rotary event is held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Mezz at the Lunds & Byerly's in Edina. The meeting will feature a brief presentation from a featured Rotarian, plus time for introductions, networking and questions. The featured speaker at the June 6 gathering will be Margaret Johnson of Edina Morningside Rotary Club. The Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC collaborate on this event.

Note that there will be no Rotary Happy Hour in July, due to the July 4 holiday.

Join us for the Edina Rotary Happy Hour/Vocational Development Group. The next gathering will be Wednesday, June 6, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.at The Mezz, located upstairs in Lunds & Byerly's at 7171 France Ave. S. in Edina. Access The Mezz from the entrance closest to France Avenue (SW corner of the store). Wine and craft beer is available at your own cost. A limited menu may be available, but you can also purchase food in the grocery deli and bring it upstairs.

The event will feature a short social period, with a "formal" program beginning at 6 p.m. Each person will have a brief opportunity to introduce themselves and make new connections. A featured presenter will have 15 minutes to share information that is relevant to his or her profession followed by a short Q&A period. The speaker for the June 6 gathering is Margaret Johnson. Rotary Happy Hour is a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC. Contact Renee Harberts for more information.

There is no July 4 gathering due to the holiday.

Here is a little more info about the origination of the Edina Rotary Vocational Development Group from Rotarian Kip Peterson:

We are all, no doubt, familiar with Rotary's Four-Way Test. You may not be familiar with the Object of Rotary, which states:

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation to serve society;

THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

The concept of vocational service is rooted in the Second Object. In order to put these ideals into action, Rotary International makes the following suggestions:

·Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members' vocations.

·Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions.

·Guide and encourage others in their professional development.

With this background in mind, the purpose of the Vocational Development Group is to provide club members the opportunity to share their profession, to expand their network, to encourage professional development, and to foster the ideals of integrity and ethical business practices.

While I expect the format will continue to evolve, the meetings will initially consist of approximately 30 minutes of social time, followed by a short program from one of our own members starting at 6 p.m. sharp. The presenting member will have approximately 15-20 minutes to share information that is relevant to their professional followed by a short Q&A period. It is my hope that, as part of their presentation, they will tell us more about what they do, what type of client/customer they serve, connections they would like to make, and connections they are willing to share. After the program, the meeting will conclude with another brief social period, which must conclude no later than 7 p.m.

We hope you will join us. Please feel free to extend an invitation to prospective members, as well as members from other clubs.